Files may have metadata associated therewith. Metadata is information about a file that helps describe the file, but is independent of the file itself For example, metadata may include information about a file such as author, title, manager, company, category, comments, creation date, and any other data about the file. Some metadata applies to almost all files while other metadata is specific to the type of file. For example, most files have author and subject as metadata while image files may also include shutter speed, camera model, equipment make, metering mode, and the like. Typically, the metadata is not needed to display the file, but in some cases it is. For example, metadata for an image may include width, height, and bit depth, This metadata may be needed to properly display the image.
Some files have metadata of various standards associated with or embedded in them. For example, an image file may be associated with Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF), International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC), and Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) metadata. Each type of metadata associated with a file may or may not have various pieces of information about the file (e.g., author, create date, and so forth).
What is needed is a method and system for reading the various pieces of information contained in various metadata schemas that are associated with a file and determining which metadata entry should take priority and updating the metadata to keep it consistent across the multiple schemas.